Cherry and maple keepsake box

This is a keepsake box that I just finished. It is made from cherry and maple, with a walnut veneer panel in the lid. It is inspired by this box from our master box-maker Don, but without the dividers and trays since it’s not for jewelry. Dimensions are 8 1/2” x 11” x 3”, the bottom is lined with black felt.

I was worried at first that the walnut would look funny in the cherry and maple lid but it turned out really nice and I’m now glad I did it, the figure looks great!

The finish is BLO, followed by 5 coats of clear shellac, then hand-rubbed with #0000 steel wool and wax.

This is my first “real” box. Before starting on this one, I made a mock-up from a scrap of redwood 2×4 and some poplar to check the proportions and try out different finish recipes and I’m glad I took the time to do so, I ended up making quite a few changes to my original plans.

I’ll second Lee with the Mock up kudos. Pine and poplar have kept my limited “nice” wood out of the fireplace many times. If you’re going to copy a box, Don is the guy as you’re obviously aware. I just finished trying one of his serving trays. This box is much more ambitious. Well done.

Thanks again for the kind comments, I’m glad you like it.This was a fun project, I got to try a lot of new things. First time using veneer, first time finishing with BLO and shellac. And at the same time, this was a great project to cut my teeth on since it’s pretty small.

This is great. I like your unique interpretation of Don’s box a lot. The wide frame around that top panel is really nice. I also like the black undivided bottom. Really nice execution… very tight and clean. All around a really handsome box.